As the Chief HR & Organization Officer at Prysmian, John Andrews stands at the intersection of people and business. His career journey is a masterclass in strategic HR, most recently demonstrated by his central role in integrating Encore Wire following its acquisition in 2024. A seasoned professional, Andrews’s expertise was forged through a career that began at U.S. Steel and evolved through senior HR and operational leadership roles at General Cable, which Prysmian acquired in 2018. His deep background in both human resources and operations gives him a unique lens through which to view the modern workforce.
An Unexpected Calling
So, how does one go from the world of steel to the C-suite of a global company? For Andrews, it was an unexpected journey. He began his career at U.S. Steel in a six-month management rotation designed to provide cross-functional exposure. He cycled through various groups—from accounting to sales and, eventually, HR—to get a feel for the different sides of the business.
When his boss asked which path he found most interesting, the answer came easily. “I knew I didn’t want to crunch numbers, and I liked people, so sales and HR were at the top of my list,” he recalls. The opportunity that opened up was in Labor Relations. While HR hadn’t been on his radar, this initial role, along with the guidance of key mentors, set him on a trajectory toward a fulfilling career he never expected.
In our latest Faces, meet John Andrews.
Who is/was your biggest influence in the industry?
Many influential people have impacted my career over the years, including Rick Mahon, Head of HR at the U.S. Steel plant where I began my career, Andy Miller, EVP of HR for CEMEX North America, and Bernie Reuland, Sr. VP of Labor Relations at CEMEX North America. They were mentors to me and helped me at various stages of my career.
What’s your best mistake and what did you learn from it?
Three times in my career, I was up for the North America HR VP job here at Prysmian. Two out of three times, I didn’t get it – it wasn’t until Prysmian and General Cable merged that I moved up to that VP level. It was disheartening, but the second time around, it was my wife who suggested that maybe it was my opportunity to become a mentor and help others grow their careers from the position I was in. That really stuck with me. I learned a lot of patience and to appreciate the job that you have in front of you. It was a lesson in doing what you can for people, regardless of whether you have a title before your name. I would never have been able to advance my career with Prysmian if I hadn’t learned from that experience. It helped me become a better leader and really recognize the qualities that were important for the next step in my career.
Earlier in my career, I recall making numerous mistakes. There have been major labor negotiations where I’ve been a little too stuck on a point or company position, and I forgot to listen to what our employees were saying. It’s easy to let your ego get in the way and lose sight of what the other person is saying. But I’ve learned to listen to understand and keep my emotions and ego in check.
What’s your favorite part about working in the industry? What’s your least favorite part, and how would you change it?
The best part about HR and what we can do is really working with people and coaching them to become better managers and leaders, then getting to see them do it in practice. It’s so rewarding to coach an employee through something and see them come out of a meeting to tell you how they put that skill into practice. Seeing employees not fully appreciate the work and commitment of a company toward its employees can be disheartening. But I think that’s part of HR’s core function – to make sure employees understand the benefits a company provides.
It sounds like through your experience you really care about people, and you want to help them feel safe and comfortable, which is important in the industry. Please elaborate here.
I think it’s so important to build a workplace where people can bring their entire selves to work and feel that this is a comfortable and safe environment. Beyond that, we’re working to build a workplace that really values physical safety, which is especially important in the manufacturing industry.
How can HR most effectively demonstrate its value to the leadership team?
First and foremost, you have to really understand the business and how HR can help further and impact the bottom line. Once you understand that, it’s important to become a trusted and valued business partner, which means you’re there when things are going well, but also when things get challenging. You need to be a resource for your management team, and you have to work at building that trust. It takes a lot of work to get a seat at that table, but once you’re there, you’re a resource and an asset. You’re there when things don’t go as planned, to be a leader and to help your leadership team figure out how to progress forward.
Where do you see the industry heading in five years? Or are you seeing any current trends?
It’s impossible to talk about the future of the industry without talking about AI. HR has to understand exactly what we want to get out of AI and where it can bring value to our business. We’re also expecting to see many retirements over the next few years, especially in manufacturing, so addressing how we’re going to recruit and retain employees during that transition is going to be a hot topic.
What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of my family: my kids and the relationship I’ve built with my wife. And I mean that wholeheartedly. In a professional sense, I’m incredibly proud of the teams that I’ve built and continue to build. I think with what we’ve been able to accomplish, we’re demonstrating just how critical HR is to our organization.
Do you have any advice for people entering the profession?
People should never underestimate themselves on what they can bring to the table and how they can grow their career. I think it’s important for people to remember that they typically go into the HR field because of people and you want to always do your best to keep those people in mind, while also understanding that you’re running a business. You can do a lot of really good things in the HR field if you build it the right way and provide strong support to your teams.